Video of Ore. police subduing man prompts lawsuit

Police were cleared of any wrongdoing by two different review boards

By Steve Benham
KATU 2

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police considered all their options and used appropriate force when they used a Taser and punched a man they were attempting to arrest, a police lieutenant with the police bureau's Internal Affairs Unit said in a letter to the man.

The letter, dated Oct. 28, 2011, was written by Chris Davis in response to a request from the police chief to investigate the arrest of Jason Cox in June 2011. It was released by police Wednesday. Cox says the officers who arrested him used excessive force. He has filed a lawsuit against the city of Portland for $500,000.

Security camera video from Pallas Club, a Southeast Portland strip club, captured the arrest in the club’s parking lot. Police suspected Cox was driving drunk. n the video, Cox can be seen arguing with officers. Eventually, officers move to spread Cox's legs, but it leads them all to fall to the ground.